The aim of the foresight study was to develop an agenda that defined the research required in the medium term (15 years) in order to enable sustainable exploitation, farming, and retailing of aquatic resources.

There are many ways to develop a research agenda. Very often experts are consulted to provide their view on the future. In this case, a foresight method was applied using scenarios, building a step–by-step analysis of the most important factors influencing the future in terms of fisheries, aquaculture, and food processing, with a large group of stakeholders being involved along the way.

Three workshops looked at how the factors might develop in the future and what research is needed to support these developments. The summary report​ gives an overview of the exercise, the steps taken, and the research priorities that came out of the process.

About COFASP

Established under the Knowledge Based Bioeconomy (KBBE) theme in FP7 and part of the Europe 2020 strategy which recognises bioeconomy as strategy key element, Cooperation in Fisheries, Aquaculture and Seafood Processing (COFASP)​ is an ERA-NET project created to directly address actions envisaged within the sectors of fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood.

Its main objectives are:

to lay the basis for exploitation according to the precautionary principle and to enhance innovation in and competiveness of the primary sectors of fisheries and aquaculture as well as subsequent seafood processing and distribution to the consumer

to define the science, information, and data necessary to underpin the revision of the CFP

to ensure its successful implementation by designing complementary national research programmes and outlining the required monitoring and information/data sharing systems.

COFASP is based on the earlier ERA-NET MariFish project and the current ERA-NET SEAS-ERA one and runs from February 2013 to January 2017 in a process that includes 27 partners from 16 countries in Europe, with ICES amongst them.​​